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The Computer Science Curriculum at Hunter College

The Department of Computer Science curriculum engages students in rigorous exploration of ideas and theory that are shaping the future of the information age.

Why Our Students Choose Hunter CS

Hunter's center for research and education in the theoretical foundations, implementation and application of information and computation, the Computer Science Department offers its students a unique learning experience:

Although the department has just twelve full-time members, they span a diverse range of backgrounds and interests, and have aggressively and successfully sought external funding for research and equipment;

Our students have won national awards and gone to graduate school at top national institutions with full fellowships;

There are many opportunities for undergraduates to work closely with faculty on current research projects;

The Department is part of large liberal arts college and its faculty collaborates with faculty in other departments, such as Film & Media, Psychology, Geography, Linguistics, and Biology;

The Department is conveniently located at the main campus of Hunter College on the east side of Manhattan, with the city within its reach.

Learning Goals for Computer Science Students

Computer science students should learn the fundamental concepts and theories of the discipline of computer science as specified by professional organizations such as the Association for Computing Machinery. They should:

Understand the basic foundations and relevant applications of mathematics and statistics, particularly those branches related to computer science.

Understand the relationship between computer architectures and software systems.

Computer science students should be adept at formulating, analyzing and solving computing problems. They should:

Have a deep practical knowledge of one widely used programming language and be familiar with at least two others, covering at least two distinct programming paradigms.

Be experienced in working in at least two widely used operating system environments.

Be able to apply principles of design and analysis in creating substantial programs and have experience working in teams on projects of moderately realistic scope.

Computer science students should be prepared to pursue advanced studies in the field and to assume professional responsibilities. They should:

Be able to communicate technical ideas effectively, both in writing and in oral presentations.

Understand the ethical concerns typically arising in the context of computing.

Be able to achieve a score of at least 60th percentile on the Computer Science GRE exam.

Computer science students should graduate prepared to continue to learn throughout their careers, keeping up-to-date in a quickly developing field. In particular, they should be able to read and assimilate technical material independently from textbooks, articles and other level-appropriate sources.